Ensure labour rights

Each year on International Labour Day, the people gather to pay homage to the invaluable contributions of workers—the backbone of our economy. Speeches are made, banners unfurled, and promises repeated. But as the echoes of these ceremonies fade, so too does the urgency to act on the real concerns of those who build, clean, carry, grow and sustain the very fabric of our society. Nowhere is this gap between celebration and reality starker than in Jammu & Kashmir, where a vast number of labourers, including daily wagers, continue to live in uncertainty, lacking the most fundamental of rights: dignity, job security, fair wages, and social protections. While Labour Day serves as a reminder of the historic struggles for worker rights, mere observance without structural reform amounts to a hollow gesture. The spirit of May Day must translate into tangible policy changes, not just ceremonial praise. In J&K, the labour force—especially in unorganised sectors and among daily wagers in departments like PHE, PWD, Forest, and Power—remains systematically neglected. The plight of daily wagers in J&K is no longer just a labour issue—it is a human rights issue. Despite numerous assurances from successive governments, very little has materialised on the ground. Their families suffer due to wage delays, lack of access to housing and healthcare schemes, and the looming uncertainty of unemployment. Regularisation of services is not a charity—it is a rightful acknowledgment of years of loyal service. If these workers are good enough to serve the administration for years, then they are good enough to be absorbed into the system with full rights and protections. On this day, there is a need to begin with a comprehensive labour reform policy in Jammu & Kashmir—one that goes beyond lip service and delivers justice.